Home
by snoozin81
Summary: ONE SHOT! What if following your dreams ends up leading you right back home?


**Another summer day**

_**Is come and gone away**_

_**In Paris and Rome**_

_**But I wanna go home**_

_**Mmmmmmm**_

For some reason or another, the air conditioning on the bus had stopped working. Craig reached up and wiped away the sweat that was blurring his vision. He struck a cord on his guitar before turning his attention to the tented window. He wasn't really sure where they were at and for the life of him he couldn't remember the name of the seedy, little town they were headed too. It was another stop at a run down bar filled with bikers and drunks that were only half listening as he played his soul out. Another bad gig on the tour from hell that would leave him missing the one place he'd willingly left.

Each new gig found him skimming the audience looking for that familiar smile, those unmistakable green eyes, and the support of a true best friend. Each search left him disappointed and homesick. They were supposed to have done this together, Craig and Ellie, taking the music scene by storm. But she'd staid behind encouraging him to go chase his dreams.

It had hit him somewhere along the desolate highway, late one night, when everyone but him and the bus driver were sleeping that those dreams she'd encouraged him to chase were leading him right back home. He knew there'd be another girl waiting, one who wouldn't be too happy with the decisions he'd made along the way. He'd broken her heart twice before and hated that he was going to end up doing it again but he couldn't ignore the ache in his heart for a certain red head, the only girl that was just as fed up as he was.

Maybe surrounded by 

_**A million people I**_

_**Still feel all alone**_

_**I just wanna go home**_

_**Oh I miss you, you know**_

Craig made his way off the stage ignoring his band mates that clapped him on the shoulder and offered congratulations. He stopped in his tracks at the mirage of Ellie running towards him for a hug. The ache in the pit of his stomach burned like fire as he sat his guitar in its case and walked out the back door of the club. He sat down with his back against the brick building and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. He didn't even have to scroll for the number he knew it by heart.

"Hello," Her sleepy voice said after the third ring. Craig looked down at his watch and realized it was well past two o'clock in the morning back in Toronto.

"Sorry," He said with a sigh. He leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes, soaking in the sound of her breathing.

"Craig," She asked and he could picture her sitting up in bed, her hair out of place and unruly. He could see her smile then look over at the bedside picture of the two of them together. It was her voice that pulled him back to reality, "Where are you?"

"I don't know," he replied. "Some little town in the middle of no where, we just got done playing and…"

He trailed off not sure how to tell her, how to let her know that everything had changed. He couldn't find the words to tell her that once the tour was over he was coming home not for Manny but for her. The words he wanted to say weren't meant for a late night, cell phone conversation, outside a rustic, redneck bar, with thousands of miles between them.

"Craig," She asked a hint of panic in her voice.

"I just…I wanted to let you know I missed you." He finished, kicking a pebble with the toe of his shoe.

"I miss you too," She replied with a touch of sadness that let him know it was true.

"Yo, Manning, you coming in or what," One of his band mates asked poking his head out the door.

"Yeah, just a sec," Craig replied annoyed at the interruption. He sighed into the phone, "El…"

But she cut him off, "Go have fun rock star. I can't wait to hear all about it."

He staid on the line until he heard the dial tone and knew for a fact that she'd hung up. He stood up and made his way back into the bar. He ordered a beer from the bartender and was told it was on the house, one of the perks of performing. He sat at an empty table ignoring the girls that were throwing themselves at the band members, himself included. There was only one girl he wanted to see and she was tucked safely in bed.

And I've been keeping all the letters that I wrote to you 

_**Each one a line or two**_

"_**I'm fine baby, how are you?"**_

_**Well I would send them but I know that it's just not enough**_

_**My words were cold and flat**_

_**And you deserve more than that**_

Craig set down at the little fold out table, his beat up black notebook sitting closed on the table in front of him. It had started out as his lyric book a photograph of he and Manny taped to the cover for inspiration. But in that same spot on the high way where he'd realized it was Ellie he wanted to be with the notebook had become much, much more. Pages filled with letters that had been started but never finished:

_Dear Ellie,_

_There's so much I need to say. Let me start with I miss you._

_Dear Ellie, _

I thought this is what I wanted, to be on the open road playing my music for a bunch of strangers. Turns out, what I really wanted was in Toronto all along.

_Dear Ellie,_

_I love you._

They sat unfinished, un-mailed. Craig flipped open the book, a picture falling out on to the table, two friends sitting behind a set of drums, large smiles on their faces. It seemed like forever ago and yesterday all at the same time. The wedding gig; what a disaster that turned out to be. It was that day that it had become painfully obvious that Ellie had stronger feelings than just friendship. That was the day Craig had made a very large mistake. He'd thought it was Manny he wanted, sweet, innocent, simple but he'd been wrong. It was Ellie, slightly messed up, straightforward and sarcastic that he should have chosen. It was Ellie that he'd spent the last several months dreaming about, missing. It was Ellie he was willing to throw his music career away for.

Craig sighed, picking up the pen that lay beside him. He poised it above a blank notebook page and closed his eyes. Visions of Ellie danced behind his eyelids as he drummed his fingers on the table. The sound bringing to life a string of words that he quickly jotted down. When he was finished writing he reached for his guitar and started strumming the tune floating in his head a half an hour later a new song was born.

_**Another aeroplane**_

_**Another sunny place**_

_**I'm lucky I know**_

_**But I wanna go home**_

_**Mmmm, I've got to go home**_

_**Let me go home**_

_**I'm just too far from where you are**_

_**I wanna come home**_

Craig climbed off the bus squinting against the harsh light of the sun. Another gig, another town, another memory that didn't mean anything because Ellie wasn't there, that's what his life had become. He'd done it, accomplished his dream and he still wasn't happy.

"What is your deal?" One of the other guys asked. "You're living the life hundreds would kill for."

"But is it worth it," Craig replied. But the question was directed more at himself than at his band mate.

The guy simply shook his head and walked away. They didn't get it. Everything that mattered was back home. Joey, Angie, Ellie, that's where his heart was, that's where his music was. Out here he was alone. He remembered the last time he'd felt that way, when he was living with his dad afraid to tell anyone about the nightmare that was his life. His mother was gone, he'd figured Joey didn't care, and Angie was too little to really understand. But then there'd been Sean, and Ashley, and Ellie and everything had turned around. That's what he wanted, his friends, his family, the comfort of home.

Leo wasn't too happy about Craig's decision but Craig had refused to back down. Once the tour wrapped he'd be on the first plane back to Toronto and nothing and nobody was going to stand in his way. The plane ticket tucked into his pillowcase was proof of that.

And I feel just like I'm living someone else's life 

_**It's like I just stepped outside**_

_**When everything was going right**_

_**And I know just why you could not**_

_**Come along with me**_

_**But this was not your dream**_

_**But you always believe in me**_

September rolled around and Craig began to feel restless. He felt like he'd stepped out of his skin and was watching everything from the sidelines. This wasn't his life, it couldn't have been. Greatness just wasn't in his blood. He should have been getting ready to start college, planning courses, filling out financial aid paperwork, apartment hunting. He should have been stressing about school supplies and hitting Joey up for money to buy new clothes. He should have been a doing a million other things that had nothing to do with touring Canada with a group of guys he'd known less than a couple of months.

She'd started college, University of Toronto, and was majoring in journalism. That was her dream, to be the next Caitlin Ryan. College had been the reason she hadn't followed him to Vancouver, the reason she wasn't with him right now. She was made for brilliance and he was happy for her. She'd encouraged him to follow his dreams, she believed in him and he hoped that she knew he believed in her too.

Another winter day has come 

_**And gone away**_

_**And even Paris and Rome**_

_**And I wanna go home**_

_**Let me go home**_

Craig watched the snowfall out his hotel window. His bags sat half way packed on the bed. It was only a matter of hours before he'd be boarding a plane to Toronto, a few more hours and he'd get to see that smile, those green eyes. Craig smiled to himself before turning away from the window. He finished packing then called the front desk about getting a cab.

"Are you sure about this, kid?" Leo asked as Craig waited for his cab. "You're throwing away one hell of an opportunity."

Craig thought about the answer for a minute. He'd spent half the morning asking him self that very same question. Was he sure? He couldn't remember the last thing he'd been this sure about. Every time he'd started to doubt his decision he would hear her laugh, or catch a whiff of the honey shampoo she used, or see those eyes shinning up at him full of hope, of love. Was he sure? Hell yes he was sure.

"I'm sure," He replied with out hesitation as the cab pulled up to the curb in front of him.

Craig climbed in without bothering to look back. Everything he'd ever wanted was one little plane ride away. Craig couldn't ignore the excitement bubbling up inside of him as the cab pulled away from the curb. The closer he got to Toronto the more excited he got.

And I'm surrounded by 

_**A million people I**_

_**Still feel alone**_

_**Oh, let me go home**_

_**Oh, I miss you, you know**_

Craig entered the crowded lobby of the Vancouver airport and made his way to the check-in desk. Once he was set to go and had made it through security, Craig pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed the familiar number.

"Hello," She said on the other end of the line.

"Hi," He replied taking a seat near his terminal. He couldn't control the smile spreading across his face. He wished the plan was already in the air or that at the very least they'd already started boarding.

"Craig? I can barely hear you. Where are you?" She asked.

"I'm at the airport." He offered, "I just wanted to let you know I'm still missing you."

She was quiet for a minute then she asked, "Airport? Why are you at the airport?"

His smile got bigger but he didn't want to give it away just yet, "I need to get away for a little while. You know, clear my head."

"Oh," She said and the disappointment in her voice was evident. It almost made him spill the surprise before he'd even left Vancouver. But just as he opened his mouth to tell her everything she cut him off, "Well be careful. We miss you."

Craig hung up the phone and imagined Ellie's face flushed with surprise and giddy with happiness. Maybe he was being a little conceited but he wanted her to be happy to see him, he wanted her to be shocked and surprised and elated. He wanted her whole world to still be revolving around him because his whole world was most definitely revolving around her.

Let me go home 

_**I've had my run**_

_**Baby, I'm done**_

_**I gotta go home**_

_**Let me go home**_

_**It will be all right**_

_**I'll be home tonight**_

_**I'm coming back home**_

Craig listened to the other line ring. One ring, two ring. "Please pick up," he begged as the third ring started. He nervously fidgeted with the bag slug over his shoulder. What if she didn't pick up?

"Hello," She asked finally picking up the line.

"What are you doing?" He asked shivering on the doorstep to a very familiar home.

"Visiting my mom," She replied not knowing that he already knew that. Marco had been a good source of information and luckily pretty good at keeping a secret.

"Well, I sent you a present." He started. "Go open the door."

She was quiet but he could hear motion inside the house as she made her way to the door. He held his breath as the door started to open and then she was standing there just the way he'd hoped she'd be, shocked, excited, and almost glowing.

"Oh, my god," She muttered then in a split second her arms were around his neck. "What are you doing here?"

"I told you I missed you." He replied breathing her in. The scent of honey mixed with flowers and an underlying scent of coffee. The warmth of her body chased away the frigid December air. Her breath on his cheek sent electricity flowing through his entire body. It was good to be home.


End file.
